1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various diagnostic imaging devices referred to as modalities are used as medical diagnostic devices in medical practice. The modalities include ultrasonic diagnostic devices, nuclear magnetic resonance tomography devices, computed tomography devices, computed x-ray imaging devices, and the like. These various modalities read regions to be diagnosed of patients to generate medical image data. Based on medical image data generated by modalities, color printers form, on surfaces of film media, print images, which are used for examination or diagnosis by physicians.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-94714 discloses a network system including a workstation that acquires medical image data from a modality and performs gradation processing corresponding to the modality on the medical image data, and a printer that forms a print image on a surface of a film medium based on the medical image data.
Print images formed on surfaces of film media based on medical image data are familiar to physicians who use the print images for examination or diagnosis. However, in some cases, such print images are hard to see for patients and their families who know little about medical care and are unfamiliar with them. Thus, recently, in some oases, a print image is formed on a surface of a paper medium based on medical image data by a color printer and used by a physician for explaining the diagnosis to a patient and his or her family.